<p>SCEA is considered to be more competitive, but at the same time, gives candidates an edge.</p>
<p>This seems paradoxical on face, but makes sense.</p>
<p>Many of the best candidates apply early, and more get accepted. You can probably sneak in early, but not regular. You can only help your chances by applying early - if you get rejected early, you wouldn’t have been taken regular (or else they would have deferred).</p>
<p>On the other hand, I believe that deferred kids get an advantage in RD rounds, because they appear more committed.</p>